Four Times Annabeth was Right
by xoxo Cherie
Summary: ...and one time Percy was. When you're a Seaweed Brain like Percy, there's little to no chance you'll ever be right. Five moments in the lives of Percy and Annabeth. Five chapters long.
1. One

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _or _The Heroes of Olympus._**

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_One_

"It's not going to work."

Annabeth was perched on the low branch of a tree by the Little Tiber, the barracks a few meters away. A book lay forgotten in her lap. It was a particularly nice day at Camp Jupiter. The Greek campers were only staying for a few more days before heading back to Long Island, and Percy had convinced Jason, Leo, and Frank that they had to try something "totally awesome" that he had thought up before they left.

Currently, the four boys were scattered around a strange-looking chariot, each of them working on a different part of it.

"Annabeth, what's with the lack of confidence? Don't you believe in us?" Leo poked his head out from under the aforementioned chariot and shot her a smile. He was attaching what looked suspiciously like a boat motor to the butt end of it.

"I _believe_," she started dryly, "that you guys are going to end up crashing and killing the few precious brain cells you can't afford to lose." She turned her head so she was looking at Jason. "Jason, I thought you had enough common sense to see that this isn't going to end well."

The blonde shrugged his broad shoulders. "After winning two wars against evil Titans, nothing really seems daunting anymore." That got a grin out of the other three boys, while Annabeth rolled her eyes for what seemed like the umpteenth time in the past few hours.

"Come on, Annabeth. Don't worry!" Percy walked over to her, grease smudged on his hands and a streak of it on his forehead. "We've been through more dangerous stuff than trying to ride a chariot across water."

He reached for her, but she swatted the grease-covered hand away. "Yeah, and the only reason you survived was because I was there to save your sorry ass."

The stifled laughter of the other three boys could be heard, but Percy shot them a look that quickly wiped the amused looks from their faces.

"Well, think about it this way," Frank said, tightening the screws of what looked like some kind of flotation device where the wheels of the chariot should've been, "Leo built a boat that could fly. How hard could it be to build a chariot that can tread water?"

"We spent more than six months building the _Argo II_. And it wasn't just Leo that built it. It was a team of his siblings and mine. I really wouldn't call the rest of you guys," she gestured to all of them with a hand, "mechanically capable."

"Haven't you ever wanted to live on the edge?" Percy asked.

"No. I wasn't joking when I said Athena always has a plan." Annabeth took her index finger and jabbed it into Percy's chest as she said, "And I didn't save your life all those times, just so you can go kill yourself while doing some crazy stunt!"

"Trust us, Annabeth. I can control the water, Jason can fly, Frank can turn into any animal he wants, and Leo is a master mechanic." Percy tried to give her a reassuring smile. "We all know what we're doing."

"That sounds like four spectacular ways things can go wrong."

Before he could respond, Leo jumped out from under the chariot. "It's done! Time to get this baby on the water." He rubbed his hands together, an impish smile tugging at his lips.

"Alright, you know what to do, Frank," Jason said, looking in his direction.

Frank made his way to the edge of the river and dove in, head first. When he reemerged, he had transformed into a large bottlenose dolphin.

"Sweet!" Leo walked thigh deep into the water, attaching a harness around Frank's dolphin body.

Percy and Jason dragged the chariot to the water's edge, gently lowering it into the river.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along for the ride?" Percy called to Annabeth as he got into the chariot, Jason and Leo right behind him.

She had gotten down from the tree and now stood with her arms crossed. "I don't have a death wish, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, exasperated.

"Suit yourself."

"Ready?" Jason asked, grabbing the handle on the chariot.

Leo counted down. "Three… two… ONE!" He started the motor and Frank zoomed through the water.

The first fifty feet went by without incident. The three boys in the chariot could be heard whooping and screaming all the way to New Rome, maybe even Frank's excited dolphin squeals.

But everything went wrong when they passed under the first bridge. The chariot was flowing downstream and with the added speed from the motor and Frank's vicious swimming, the chariot all but crashed into the small gap under the bridge. The gap was too narrow, and, as a result, the two floaties in place of the wheels were ripped off the chariot.

"Uh, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Leo called over the rush of water.

Percy and Jason turned their identical incredulous expressions to the son of Hephaestus.

"You _think_?" Jason yelled sarcastically.

Percy looked ahead of him to Frank. "We have to get Frank to slow down!"

The three boys in the chariot yelled for the friend, but Frank paid no attention to what was happening behind him. The only thing he had in mind was what Leo had told him as he was adjusting his harness before they took off. _Just swim as fast as you can and don't stop until we've reached the lake!_

So, while Frank zoomed through the rippling water, Percy, Jason, and Leo screamed and held on for their lives.

"Wait!" Jason shouted over Percy and Leo, "I think I can fly the three of us off!"

"Are you nuts?" Percy yelled. "That means we have to let go!"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

Jason let go of the bar on the chariot and gripped Percy and Leo's shirts tightly.

He made to fly off the chariot, but as he tread air for a few seconds, he hadn't noticed the second bridge coming into view and promptly smacked his head into it and flew into the river.

"Now, what?" Percy called looking back for Jason.

They were quickly approaching the mouth of the lake. Frank would stop soon and then they'd be able to come to a smooth stop without too much incident. Of course, this was only wishful thinking.

Frank was almost to the lake when suddenly, Terminus had popped up out of no where, only his head and chest poking out of the water.

"That chariot is a weapon," he bellowed, "and weapons are strictly forbidden from entering the Pomerian Line!"

But Frank was going way too fast and couldn't come to a complete stop. Before he knew it, his bottlenose had crashed right into Terminus's marble chest, sending them both somewhere into the river.

Luckily (or maybe unluckily?) the harness that had been strapped to Frank broke and the chariot went skidding across the lake like a giant skipping stone.

"You're the son of Poseidon!" Leo shouted, "Do something!"

Only one coherent thought crossed Percy's mind. _Stop!_

Suddenly it felt as if the waves from the lake had grasped onto the chariot, but the moment of peace was short lived. Because the chariot had stopped so abruptly, the force threw Percy and Leo out of the chariot, and then, they were sailing in the air.

In the back of Percy's mind, he sensed that Leo had landed in the water by the lake's edge. Percy, on the other hand, landed on with an _oomph_ in the grass, somewhere by the Circus Maximus. He turned so that we was laying on his side. For a moment, all he could feel was pain and little stars clouded his vision.

Finally, when he could see clearly again, he saw Annabeth's sneakers in front of his face. She leaned down so that he could meet her eyes.

The look on her face clearly said _I told you so._

Annabeth helped Percy onto his feet, not without some trouble. When he was able to stand on his own, he could see the remains of a their chariot, partially sunk in the lake. He also saw Jason, Frank, and Leo, all looking wet and delirious.

He could hear the smug tone in her voice. "Are you sure you still want to 'live on the edge,' Seaweed Brain?"

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**AN: This was so much fun to write! I imagine that Annabeth becomes pretty frustrated with all of Percy's Seaweed Brained antics, but I guess moments like this, when she's so obviously right, make up for it. Oh, Percy. When will you ever learn?  
**

**This story will be a total of five chapters. I think the title is pretty self explanatory. I can't wait to write up the next chapters for this story!  
**

**I hope you liked it! Reviews are welcome and appreciated!  
**

**xoxo Cherie  
**


	2. Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians._**

**Warning: I did change the rating for this story to T, so if you didn't notice before, I wanted to warn you know now. Some of the next few chapters, including this one, will be for a more mature audience. So, if that's not your cup of tea, avert your eyes! **

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Something about Annabeth was making it very hard for Percy to concentrate on his biology textbook. Maybe it was because her hair was down? Earlier, when she was readjusting her ponytail, her only hairband snapped and she was forced leave it flowing around her shoulders. He could smell her lemon shampoo, the scent swirling around his head. Or maybe it was the way she was biting her lip as she scribbled into her notebook? Or maybe-

"Percy?"

Her voice brought him out of his reverie and he took a moment to shake his head.

"Sorry. Did you say something?"

Annabeth gave him a strange look, "No, but you were staring at me. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing-," he became distracted again as Annabeth pulled her hair over her left shoulder, revealing the long column of her neck. "N-nothing's wrong," he stuttered the words, his throat instantly going dry.

Usually, Percy and Annabeth didn't meet during weekdays, but (after a lot of begging and pleading) he had convinced his girlfriend to meet him that Tuesday._ "We'll just do homework and get some studying done,"_ he had told her.

Conveniently enough, his mom had gone to visit an old coworker and Paul had a conference, so the apartment was empty except for the two teenagers. They had settled into Percy's room, both sitting on his bed with their backs against the wall. The only noise, aside from the traffic outside, came from their pencils scratching on paper.

That was until Percy had turned his head to look at Annabeth. Originally, he had planned on asking her to explain the difference between classical and operant conditioning, but he had unexpectedly gotten caught up with the way her brows would furrow when she read something, and the way she twirled her pencil between her fingers, and her lips-

"Percy!"

Gods, what was _with_ him today?

"Sorry," he repeated, rubbing his eyes. "I think my brain is fried."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Annabeth reached her hands to his and pulled them away from his face. "If you want, I can leave."

"What? No, don't go," he said, grasping her hands. "Do you realize how much I had to beg to convince you to come over in the in the first place? You aren't going anywhere." He tugged at her hands, pulling her closer to him.

A dry look settled on her features. "I thought you said we were 'just studying' today."

"That doesn't mean we can't take study breaks."

She rolled her eyes at his suggestion. "Something tells me you have more in mind than just a study break."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." A sly smile slipped onto his lips.

"Percy," her tone became serious, "didn't you say you have a biology test tomorrow?"

Even when Annabeth was being stern, Percy thought she was gorgeous. He knew she was beautiful; the thought crossed his mind all the time. But there were some (untimely) moments, like now, when he became completely enamored with her. He could hear his heart thumping loudly.

His voice was huskier than before. "Maybe?"

He leaned in to kiss her, but Annabeth pulled away before their lips could meet.

"I should go." She began gathering her scattered notes and pens. "You aren't going to get any studying done if we take a 'break.'" She used her fingers to put air quotes around the last word.

"But-"

"Not buts, Seaweed Brain. You and I both know you'll fail your test if I stay."

"But, there's a good chance I'll still fail even if you leave!" His voice was pleading.

"Well then," she said, packing her things, "at least I won't be held accountable." A deep frown replaced the smile previously adorning his face. "I'm doing this for your own good, Percy."

Annabeth leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. She was about to get up from the bed, when she felt Percy wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into a kiss.

Completely caught off guard, Annabeth froze, but before she could pull away and scold him like she had planned, her body moved on autopilot and she felt herself kiss him back.

The kiss started out slow, like most they'd shared, but it quickly escalated, becoming passionate. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Annabeth knew she should stop; she knew she should pull away and head back to her dorm before she completely lost control... but then she felt Percy's hand at the nape of her neck, and they were flush against each other, and she could feel every inch of him, and he did something with his tongue, and-

All control was thrown out the window. She, vaguely, realized that her back had met the mattress with Percy on top of her, but the thought was fleeting. Annabeth moaned into his mouth as Percy ran his hands up her sides.

Maybe Percy was wrong, but he could swear his heart rate had sped up even faster than before. It vigorously beat against his chest. Or was that Annabeth? He tore his lips from hers so he could trail kisses down her neck, the same one he'd been admiring only a few minutes before. Annabeth's hands were running through his hair, sending tingles through his nerves.

Their enthusiasm had reduced considerably when their lips met again and the kisses became short and languid before coming to a complete stop.

They lay staring at each other, trying to catch their breaths. Annabeth could see a flush on Percy's face, although she couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or lack of air. If she had a mirror, she would've seen a similar blush on her cheeks.

It took some time before either of them regained coherent thought, or regular breathing.

She spoke first. "You are _so_ failing that test tomorrow."

A playful glint was in his eyes. "Oh well."

He pulled her in for another kiss.

* * *

"So, the good news is I get to retake the test."

The next day, after school, Percy IMed Annabeth, showing her the rather unimpressive grade.

Through the Iris Message, he could see the knowing look in Annabeth's eyes.

"I told-"

He cut her off, finishing the sentence for her."Told me so. Yeah, I know, Wise Girl." He tried to look annoyed, but she could see the smile he was trying to hide. "You could always come over and help me study, again. I mean, it's kinda your fault. It's the least you could do."

Annabeth scoffed. "My fault? You all but jumped me when I was about to leave."

"But you stayed."

"It's not like I had much choice."

"But you stayed," he repeated.

She rolled her eyes before sticking her tongue out at him. He followed suit, but they both eventually cracked up at their antics.

When their laughs died down, Annabeth asked, "So, was it worth it?"

Percy grinned at her through the rainbow. "_Totally_ worth it."

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**AN: Thank you to everyone that reviewed or favorited or followed this story (or any of my stories)! I'm so glad that you guys like them. Honestly, I was a bit anxious posting these because it's always nerve-wrecking to put your work out in the open to be criticized. But if you like them, I'll keep writing.**

**This chapter was a bit tougher for me to write. I had the idea in my head, but trying to put it in words was difficult and I kept rewriting parts. And I'm still getting used to writing more amorous scenes (not sure if you could tell or not), but I'm working on it. Anyways, there's still more to come!**

**I hope you liked it! Reviews are welcome and appreciated!**

**xoxo Cherie**


	3. Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own_ Percy Jackson and the Olympians. _**

**Warning: As I've mentioned previously, the following chapter will be for a more mature audience. If suggestive or risque stories aren't your preference, then please don't read. I have no intention of offending anyone or making you feel uncomfortable, so if you don't like it, I completely understand. You've been warned!**

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"Oh yeah, this is definitely the one."

Percy was sprawled out on a humongous black leather sofa, his eyes closed. Annabeth stood in front of him with her arms crossed. An eyebrow was raised as if she were asking, "_Are you serious?"_

"You do realize that it's not going to fit in the living room, right?

After finally acquiring regular paychecks and saving for what seemed like an eternity, Percy's job as a student teacher at the local middle school and Annabeth's internship at an architecture firm finally paid off. They had found an apartment and moved in together only a few weeks prior. But they soon realized that their furniture (or lack thereof) needed an upgrade. An old futon that had come with the apartment wasn't going to cut it anymore.

So, the couple had found their way to a discount furniture store. They'd been browsing through various couches and loveseats before Percy set his sights on the monstrosity of a sofa he was currently lounging on.

"But Annabeth," he opened his eyes, suddenly sitting up straight, "it's perfect! It'll totally fit."

She gave another quirk of her eyebrow. "You also realize that I'm an aspiring architect and I know the measurements of our living room, right? I _know_ it won't fit."

Percy gave a petulant pout. He had already compromised on the bed spreads, the curtains, _and_ the dining table, along with countless other things. Sure, Annabeth had made good choices and he liked them, but he wanted to have a word on the décor of their apartment too. There was no way he was going to give up this time.

"Come on, Annabeth. Can't you let me decide on just one thing for our place? Because, you know, it's _our_ place." He gave her his best puppy dog eyes. "It's big enough so we don't have to buy any other seats, and you can't beat the price! _Please?"_

Annabeth was about to refuse, but she stopped herself. She had felt a little bad that she'd been domineering over the decorating. Then again, it's not like anyone could blame her. Percy's taste in interior design couldn't completely be trusted. She figured that out when he had dropped a shower curtain with little ducks into their shopping cart while they were buying towels a few weeks ago. (She had told him if he ever wanted to take a shower with her again, he'd put it back.)

Percy's hopeful face continued to bore into hers. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to let him make one choice. Besides, if the sofa was too big for the living room she could always rub it in his face.

She let out a sigh before giving in. "Fine."

At her words, Percy jumped to his feet. "Yes! You won't regret it, I promise!"

* * *

"It just-needs-a little-_shove._"

Percy struggled as he tried to push the leather sofa further into the living room, but his attempts were futile.

The sofa had been delivered a week after they'd bought it, and he had put up quite the fight trying to force it through the front door. Once it was in the apartment, Percy had spent the past half hour trying to position it so the majority of the space in their living room wasn't taken up, but it was no use. The sofa had been stuck in an awkward diagonal position, and there was no budging it any further.

Annabeth stood to the side, coffee mug in hand, and watched as her boyfriend dug his shoulder into the sofa, trying, and failing, to move it an inch.

"Yup, I'm _totally_ not regretting this, Seaweed Brain," she called sarcastically, a smirk tugging at her lips.

He ignored her and she continued to watch, taking an occasional sip of her coffee, as Percy grunted and pushed pointlessly. He finally let out a groan and kicked the sofa.

"Why won't it move?" he yelled out.

"Because," Annabeth took a seat on an armrest, "this sofa is about six inches too long for this room." She put a finger to her chin and feigned a pondering look. "Hmm, didn't I tell you that last week?"

Percy narrowed his eyes at her. "I hate it when you're right."

She let out a small laugh. "I thought you'd be used to it by now."

He rolled his eyes before taking a seat on the immovable sofa. A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. "I guess it's just gonna stay stuck here then."

Annabeth put her coffee mug down and moved so she was sitting next to him. "I am _not_ hurdling over this thing everyday to get in and out of the bedroom, Seaweed Brain."

"Who says we need to make it all the way to the bedroom?" He turned his head to give her a suggestive grin.

Before she could roll her eyes too, Percy attached his lips to hers and pulled her into his lap. Annabeth tried to convince herself that she could pull away, but something about his hands at her hips, rubbing little circles on the uncovered skin by the hem of her T-shirt, and the way we nibbled on her lower lip, drove her crazy. Instead of pulling away, she found herself trying to pull him closer.

She changed her position so she was straddling his lap. They were facing each other, touching chest-to-chest. She felt his hand trail up her back and pull the hairband out of her ponytail, letting her curls fall around her shoulders. She hummed against his lips and couldn't stop herself from grinding her hips into his, making him groan into her mouth.

He began trailing kisses down her neck and when he stopped at the neckline of her T-shirt, he pulled it over her head and dropped it on the floor before continuing down her throat. Annabeth threw her head back and moaned as tingling sensations spread through her body.

Percy moved them so Annabeth was lying on her back as he hovered over her, kissing down her abdomen. She arched her back and reached a hand to grab Percy's shirt, dragging him back to her lips. She pulled at his shirt and it was quickly disposed of also. The feeling of his warm skin at her front and the cold leather of the sofa on her back gave her goosebumps.

Soon, the rest of their clothes followed suit and were scattered on the living room floor. Their moans filled the small space as they moved together, and they cried out each other's names as they reached their climaxes. When the waves of pleasure subsided, Percy lay with his head against Annabeth's neck, both of their chests rising and falling as they panted heavily.

Later, when their breathing had returned to normal, Percy and Annabeth were still lying on the slanted sofa (and still void of any clothes). This time Annabeth was laying on Percy as he played with her golden curls.

"I told you, you wouldn't regret it." Even though she couldn't see his face with her head on his chest, she could hear the smile in his voice.

She moved her head so her chin was resting on his chest instead of her cheek, and met his green eyes. He was grinning at her.

"I told you the sofa wouldn't fit," her own grin mirrored his.

"Can't we keep it?" The pout from last week was back on his face. "Besides, we've made memories on this sofa! We can't get rid of it now."

Now that Annabeth wasn't preoccupied, she rolled her eyes. "Fine, but if we keep it, you get to sleep on it, Seaweed Brain."

A few days later, they returned the (slightly used) sofa for a different one.

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**AN: This chapter was definitely more risque than the previous chapters, but the story is rated T, so I didn't include all the sexy details. Maybe, I'll try my hand at that later?**

**I hope you liked the chapter! Reviews are welcome and appreciated!**

**xoxo Cherie**


	4. Four

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ or _The Heroes of Olympus._**

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As fun as it was being kidnapped by a goddess and transported to the other side of the country, then flying on a boat to Europe to fight evil Titans, _again_, (okay, maybe that wasn't very fun) there was something about being back at camp that made Percy really happy. He was finally back home. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed Camp Half-Blood until he stepped back onto the hill, smelled the strawberry scented air and took in the view of the whole camp. Yup, it was definitely good to be home.

The summer ended on a high note when they celebrated winning the war at Camp Jupiter, then the Greek campers made their way back to New York. They only had a week of camp left before they had to go back home and start school (not that Percy was looking forward to that), so he and Annabeth made the best of it. They were back in the training arena, sparring like they were going to kill each other. Just like old times.

Percy lunged at Annabeth with Riptide, but she parried his sword with her knife. She was faster than he was, so he made for a quick retreat before Annabeth could strike at him. They had been going at it for more than an hour and it was taking its toll. Both Percy and Annabeth were panting as they circled each other, but neither of them were about to back down.

"Getting tired, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth smirked at him, tightening her grip on the knife.

"Not a chance."

He lunged at her again, thrusting Riptide at her abdomen, but Annabeth had been expecting it. She blocked the sword just in time and feinted left before making to strike at his right. He'd been expecting this too, and parried her knife, throwing Annabeth off balance. Before she could fall to the ground, she somersaulted and kicked Percy's legs from underneath him so he landed on his back. She would've punctured his throat if Percy hadn't brought his sword up to catch her knife.

They struggled against each other as Annabeth tried to force her knife down.

"Surrender." She breathed it out so it was barely a whisper, but he heard it.

"Never."

Annabeth may have been faster, but Percy was stronger. He was finally able to push her body off of him and they quickly scrambled to their feet. She was about to strike at him again, when Percy snuck his hand to her side, poking her in the ribs with his index finger. She let out a yelp, and it gave Percy just enough time to take Riptide and slam the blade of her knife. It went flying out of her grasp and skittering onto the dusty floor.

He smirked as he pointed the tip of his sword at her.

"Surrender." He repeated her words, not attempting to disguise the jeering in his voice.

Annabeth crossed her arms and fixed him with one of her famous death glares.

"Cheater."

"You call it cheating, I call it creative strategizing."

He capped Riptide so it changed back into a ballpoint pen and, out of the corner of his eye, he could see Annabeth rolling her eyes at him.

However, he didn't see her charging at him as she took her hands and pinched his sides. He began laughing, trying to grab at Annabeth's hands, but he was on his back again as she mercilessly tickled him. He reached up with his own hands, poking her in her ribs again and from outside the arena, their shrieks and laughter could be heard. Finally, Annabeth had pinned his hands underneath her and she was back in control.

"Surrender!"

Percy gasped through his giggling and finally breathed out, "Okay, I surrender!"

Annabeth relented and a smug look replaced her previously irritated one. Percy took hold of her arm and pulled her down gently so she was lying on the ground next to him. They stared at the ceiling, catching their breaths.

"I've missed this," he said absentmindedly. He found Annabeth's hand next to his and held it, stroking her knuckles with his thumb.

"Me too."

"You think we can live normally now?"

He heard Annabeth scoff next to him. "Things never have been and never will be normal for us."

"That's true." He turned his head so he could look at Annabeth. Her eyes were closed and little beads of sweat were on her forehead. Even post-battle to the death she was gorgeous. "But I guess it'd be pretty boring if things were normal."

"Definitely."

"And if we lived normal lives, I guess I wouldn't have met you."

Annabeth finally opened her eyes. She turned to meet Percy's and gave him a soft look.

"I guess not, " she said quietly. "And I wouldn't be able to do this."

She leaned over and kissed Percy. It was slow and languid. They savored the moment.

When they finally pulled away for air, Percy felt like he was floating. He would never _ever _get tired of kissing Annabeth.

"So, we're in general agreement that living a normal life would totally suck?"

A laugh escaped from Annabeth's lips, the smile reaching her gray eyes.

"Whatever you say, Seaweed Brain."

He got up, the floating feeling still pulsing through him, and pulled Annabeth to her feet. They were grinning at each other, when he noticed that, suddenly, Annabeth's smile was gone.

"What's wrong?" He could hear the panic in his own voice.

It looked like she was squinting at something on his neck.

"I think I cut you."

She brought her fingers up to the side of his neck and brushed the cut gently. It was shallow, but she could see that some blood had shed from the scratch.

"Really?" He brought his hand up to where he had felt Annabeth's fingers. Sure enough, when he pulled his own fingers away, he saw that a little blood had stained them. "Oh, it's no big deal. I can't even feel it. A little nectar and ambrosia will fix it up."

"Gods, I'm so sorry. I should've been more careful."

"Annabeth, calm down. You're acting like I've never gotten hurt before. Don't worry." He tried to sound reassuring, but the worried expression was still on Annabeth's face.

"It's just hard to remember sometimes that you aren't invulnerable anymore."

"I know, it's hard for me to remember too, but it's fine. I survived before I took the curse and I'll survive after." He gave her another smile.

She let out a sigh. "You have to be more careful, Seaweed Brain. I'm not always going to be there to save you. "

"Don't worry," he repeated, "I'll be fine."

He gave her a kiss, a light one, on the lips, and another on her forehead.

"Come on. Let's get washed up and grab some lunch before all the pizza is gone," he said, grasping her hand and leading her to the exit.

He had a feeling Annabeth wasn't any less worried about him, but she was just being paranoid. He'd be fine.

* * *

When camp had finally ended and Percy was back at Goode High School, it felt like he had fallen into an alternate reality. Instead of fighting monsters and seeing his camp friends everyday, he was studying, doing homework, and trying to stay awake in his classes. Hmm... maybe there was an upside to being kidnapped.

What he missed most, though, was Annabeth. After being apart for eight months (with his memory mostly gone), it felt like they had just found each other again, but then they had to go off and fight another war. In the end, they only had about a week at the end of summer to relax and then they were apart again.

It drove him nuts not being able to see her, and making phone calls and Iris Messages just weren't the same. So, he was ecstatic when Annabeth asked to meet up at a coffee shop by her school that Friday. He hadn't even bothered changing out of his school uniform and left as soon as the last bell rang.

He was almost at the coffee shop, he only had to cross the street, and he could already see Annabeth waiting at a table near the window. From what he could see, it looked like she was straining her neck, staring out the window, like she was looking for someone, and when he finally caught her eye, a brilliant smile graced her lips. He waved at her, his own dorky grin on his face.

He just had to wait for the cars that were passing and then he'd be with her. He waited impatiently, cars driving past way faster than the speed limit. Then he noticed a boy, maybe around twelve or thirteen years old. He had on really big headphones that covered his ears and he made to cross the street. The problem was, a black sedan had rounded the corner and it was speeding straight towards him and he hadn't noticed.

Before Percy could make a coherent decision, he ran off the curb and pushed the kid out of the way. He had hoped that he'd make it across too, but the car had hit him.

Percy felt like screaming, but he couldn't find his voice. He only just registered that he was thrown onto the pavement. His body felt like it was on fire and his head was throbbing. Gods, what was he thinking? Oh yeah, he wasn't.

He heard voices around him, but all of it sounded like gibberish. Colors blurred together in his vision. Then, he saw a flurry of blonde hair. Was that an angel? Oh gods, he was dying. He was going to die, and Annabeth was going to kill him for dying right before their date and-_Annabeth_. It was Annabeth. He could barely make out her face. It was hard to focus his eyes, like a blurry camera lens. Was she crying? There was ringing in his ears, but he heard her voice over it.

_"Percy!"_

Then everything went black.

* * *

When Percy woke up again, it felt like his head had been stuffed with cotton and his whole body was sore. It felt eerily similar to the first time he arrived at Camp Half-Blood. And Annabeth was next to him too, just like she had been five years ago. Except this time, instead of looking unimpressed, it looked like she'd been crying.

He tried sitting up, but as soon as he tried to use his strength, a sharp pain struck him, like a hammer had slammed onto his head. He let out a groan.

"Don't get up. You'll just hurt yourself again."

He blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the fog in his head. "What happened?"

"You're at the hospital. Your mom and Paul are speaking to the doctor."

He took a look at Annabeth. It hurt to focus on one thing for too long, but he made the effort anyways.

His suspicions about her crying were right. She had tear tracks trailing down her cheeks and a deep frown was on her face. She looked worried and sad, but most of all she looked really really angry.

When he didn't say anything, Annabeth spoke again. "Your leg is broken from the impact of the car, your shoulder is dislocated and your elbow is fractured from landing on the pavement, and you have a concussion after smacking your head on the ground, among other scrapes and bruises, but you'll live," she finished clinically.

"Gee, that makes me feel a lot better." He tried for a smile, but, clearly, Annabeth wasn't in the mood for his jokes.

Her voice went from cold to irate. "Would you like to explain to me what in Hades you were thinking when you stepped in front of that car? Oh wait, you're a moronic Seaweed Brain so, _obviously, _you _weren't_ thinking!"

"Annabeth, you saw that kid crossing the street. What was I supposed to do? Just stand there and watch? He would've gotten hit!"

"But you're the one lying in a hospital right now because you decided to be a noble idiot! Percy, you aren't invulnerable anymore! I told you, you have to be more careful!"

"I _know_, Annabeth. You always tell me so. You always tell me when I'm wrong. I get it!" Percy and Annabeth argued regularly, but they hadn't fought this heatedly since they began dating. He ignored the sick feeling in his stomach and continued to shout. "You're right. I wasn't thinking when I saved that kid. But I did and I'm still alive. I've almost died dozens of times before. Why are you so worried?"

"Because I can't lose you again!"

Their fighting came to a halt at her words. Percy noticed tears were streaming down her face.

His voice lost its animosity from before. "Annabeth..."

"I know I'm not always going to be there to save you, and I know you're going to get hurt, but," her voice broke, "gods, do you know how scared I was when you went missing? Not just last time, but when we were at Mount St. Helens too."

"Hey-" he tried to comfort her, but Annabeth cut him off.

"I-I was so scared that I'd never see you again. And now, if I'm not worrying about you getting killed by a monster, or on a quest, or trying to save the world, I have to worry about you dying in ordinary, conventional ways too. Like saving some dumb kid trying to cross the street."

The tears were streaming down faster now, and Percy tried to push down the slight panic he was feeling. He'd only ever seen Annabeth cry a few times, and even then he didn't know what to do.

"Hey," Percy started again, "come here."

It had taken quite a bit of effort, but he sat up and used his good arm to reach out to Annabeth and pull her next to him on the hospital bed.

"Do you really think you can get rid of me that easily? Every time I went missing, you always found me, and every time I got hurt, I got better again." He wiped away her tears with his thumb. "I know I'm a Seaweed Brain, but I'm not going anywhere."

Annabeth hiccuped. "You don't know that."

Percy shrugged (well he tried to shrug, but it hurt his shoulder a lot). "I know I can't, but you can't either. Don't you think I'm afraid of losing you too? Remember when you took that knife for me on Williamsburg Bridge last year? I was crazy worried."

When she didn't respond, he continued. "The fact is, we're demigods. Trouble finds us, even if it's just some moron that doesn't know how to look both ways before crossing the street. It's part of the job description. But it's a miracle we've survived for this long, so we might as well enjoy the fact we're still alive, right?"

He pulled her into a hug, gently, so it wouldn't hurt.

"Gods, what am I going to do with you?" she spoke into his neck.

He cracked a smile as he leaned his head into her hair. "You're going to keep telling me when I'm wrong? And keep saving my sorry butt?" he asked cheekily.

When she pulled away, he saw that she had a small smile on her face. "What else is new?"

They spent the rest of the day in the hospital room. Annabeth even bought some drinks, _"The ones we were _supposed_ to have at the coffee shop, Seaweed Brain." _It wasn't the normal date that they had planned on having. Then again, they had already agreed, things would be pretty boring if they were normal. And, in the end, they'd take crazy and dangerous over normal any day.

* * *

**AN: So... I'm not sure whether or not I'm satisfied with this chapter. I like the idea. I like the beginning and how it progresses, but I'm a little lukewarm about the ending. Eh, I am my own critic. Otherwise, I decided to step away from the more humorous parts of Percy and Annabeth's relationship and try something a little more dramatic. Tell me what you guys think?**

**I hope you liked it! Reviews are welcome and appreciated!**

**xoxo Cherie**


	5. One Time Percy was Right

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ or _The Heroes of Olympus._**

* * *

For the first time in his life, Percy had rendered Annabeth speechless. Under different circumstances, he'd be rather proud of himself (and lock this moment away to tease Annabeth with later). However, that wasn't the case.

The pair had made their way back to Camp Half-Blood during Spring Break of their senior year. Thanks to the magical borders around camp, the weather was warm and sunny compared to the rainy season the city had been enduring. The two of them were hanging out in Cabin Three (against the rules, but no one needed to know that), and it was like another day at camp. The only thing that was out of place was Annabeth's bewildered expression.

"What?"

"I love you."

She sat up from where she was lying next to him. He watched as she blinked a few times, like she was still trying to register the words that had just come out of his mouth.

"You-I... _What?_"

Percy let out an uneasy laugh.

"Annabeth, I already said it twice. You're going to make me repeat it again?"

She ignored his question, instead bringing her fingers up to her temples and closing her eyes, like she had a headache.

"You just said that you love me."

This wasn't the response Percy had been expecting. A roll of her eyes and an "_I love you too, Seaweed Brain,"_ sure. Or maybe a heart-racing kiss. Even spontaneous tears of joy seemed more fitting. But not this.

"Yeah, I did." His own confused expression washed over his face.

Annabeth opened her eyes again, but she wasn't looking at him. Actually, it seemed like she was trying to look anywhere except towards him.

"Percy, I-We're not even eighteen yet."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "So?"

_"So?" _She finally turned to face him. "Percy, you don't love me. We don't even know what love is!"

Getting up from the bunk, Annabeth began pacing in the cabin.

"That's your excuse?" He got up too, stopping right in front of her so she couldn't pace anymore. He didn't think he'd be so mad, but he could feel the anger simmering inside of him. "You think, because we're too young, we don't know what love is? That's why you don't believe that I love you?" he asked hotly.

He hadn't realized he'd been shouting until he heard his voice echoing off the walls. Annabeth's usually bright gray eyes were as cold as steel.

"It's not an excuse. I'm just being rational. Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself? If you haven't noticed, Percy, we _are_ young. And maybe you think you know what love is, but what if you're wrong?"

They were toe to toe now. Annabeth was glaring up at him, her chin raised indignantly. Percy was half expecting lightening to spark at their intense staring contest.

"Would you stop with your logic and rationality bullshit? I'm not trying to be rational, and gods know that love is anything _but_ rational! I didn't tell you that I love you on a whim! I know you call me a Seaweed Brain all the time, but I'm not an idiot! I told you because I meant it! And I thought-" Percy let out a breath he was holding in. "I thought you felt the same way too. Or have I been misreading everything?"

Under the anger coursing through him, Percy could feel his heart wrenching. The moment he spoke the words, they left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had never doubted his relationship with Annabeth before, but the way she couldn't accept what he had told her broke his heart.

Annabeth felt an unexpected pang upon hearing his words. It felt like someone had punched her in the stomach hard.

"How could you even think that?"

"Because I'm trying to tell you that I love you and you're telling me that I'm wrong! But the truth is, I do love you and you can't accept it!"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "It-it's not that simple."

"Yes, it is! All those times we saved each other's lives and been there for each other. Every time we got lost and found each other again, doesn't that speak for itself? Why is it so hard to believe? What are you so afraid of?"

The tears Annabeth had been fighting to hold back finally spilled over her cheeks. She tore her death glare from Percy, turning in a futile attempt to keep him from seeing her crying. But he'd already seen everything.

"I should go," she said, her voice trembling.

She turned so she could make her way to the exit, but before she could take two steps, Percy had caught her wrist. He hadn't even realized he had stopped her, until he felt the her warm skin under his hand. There was a part of him that was still angry and disappointed, but a bigger part was telling him that he couldn't let Annabeth go. Not like this.

"Annabeth," his angry tone from before was gone, softer now, "don't leave."

"Percy, let go," she said, still facing away from him.

"No, because if I let you go, I'm afraid I'm going to lose you. So you're going to stay and if we have to fight for the rest of the day to figure this out, I don't care, but you aren't leaving."

Still holding her wrist, he walked around so he was facing her again. Her eyes were trained on the floor of the cabin, but Percy could still see the tears running down her face. He brought his fingers to her chin and raised it gently, so her eyes would meet his. They weren't cold anymore, but Percy was surprised to find that they looked scared. Vulnerable.

"What are you so afraid of?" he repeated, gently this time.

"I told you, it's not that simple."

"Try me."

Annabeth took in a shaky breath, more tears slipping. Percy wasn't about to let her go anywhere. Maybe it was time to let out what had been weighing her down.

"I guess you could say I didn't have the happiest childhood growing up. I know everything worked out in the end, but before, it felt like I was always losing people. First my dad, and then I was running away with Thalia and Luke. But I eventually lost them too. And I loved all of them, but when I lost them it just hurt so much. After that, I was scared of getting hurt again."

Percy nodded for her to continue, wiping her tears away.

"What's worse is that my fatal flaw is hubris. My pride keeps me from making myself vulnerable to other people. I couldn't let anyone hurt me again. If I didn't love anyone, then they wouldn't be able to hurt me. It made sense." She rambled, the words rushing out of her mouth. "Then you came along and screwed all of that up."

She let out a small laugh despite her tears.

"I'm pretty good at that, right?" he asked, his own small smile on his lips.

"No kidding. You've basically turned my life upside down since we met." Annabeth cast her eyes to the floor again. "And it's so hard, because deep down, I know you love me, and I think I love you too." Percy felt his heart flip at her words. "But I'm so scared that you're going to leave like everyone else did. And then I'll get hurt, worse than anyone else has hurt me before. You have no idea what kind of power you have over me."

She heard Percy let out a snort and lifted her head to look at him.

"Are you sure about that, Wise Girl? Gods, for a girl who takes pride in being smart, you can be pretty stupid." Annabeth was about to make a retort, but Percy spoke up again. "You're fatal flaw may be deadly pride, but mine is personal loyalty. Do you realize how many times I've almost died for you? The only way I'm leaving is if I die, and I've made it this far, right?" A grin spread across his face. "And even after that, I'll still be by your side down in Hades. Face it, Annabeth. You're stuck with me forever."

Annabeth's tears had subsided considerably, and now she stared at Percy hopefully. "So, you aren't going to leave?"

"Never. I promise." He brought his hand up to her cheek, brushing away the last few tears. His voice turned serious. "Annabeth, you and I both know that I've been wrong hundreds of times before, and I know that I'm going to be wrong again in the future. But this time, I know I'm right. I'm absolutely positive about this; about us."

She gave him a skeptical look. "How can you be so sure?"

Percy pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Because I love you, Wise Girl. Any more stupid questions?" He smiled into her hair, mirroring the same thing she had told him in the back of a truck on their very first quest.

They came apart just enough so he could lean down and kiss her. Warmth spread throughout her body, and she leaned into him closer, snaking her arms around his neck.

When they pulled away Percy saw that, finally, Annabeth was smiling too; a beautiful genuine smile.

All the doubts she had from before had vanished.

"I love you too."

* * *

**AN: Finally the end to this story! Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, or followed! I had a lot of fun writing this and I'm glad so many of you liked it!**

**As for the chapter itself, I had a few ideas for the "Percy is right" chapter, but this idea stuck out the most to me. It seems just like Annabeth to worry over something as obvious as this, right? I know I made them fight again in this chapter, and I made it more serious again, but they're relationship can't be funny and lighthearted all the time. Besides, it's still a happy ending. *Shrug*  
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**Also, some readers have asked if I could continue this story further, and I was planning on cleaning up some of the drafts and other ideas I had for this story and adding them as deleted scenes or something, but actually, I'd like to use my other ideas as inspiration for new stories or one-shots, so be on the look out for them!  
**

**I hope you enjoyed this story! Reviews are welcome and appreciated!  
**

**xoxo Cherie  
**


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